Samuel Ready Scholarships – Winter 2020 Newsletter

I want to begin by telling you about a young woman I met following my remarks to the Friends School Upper School earlier this week. The young woman approached me asking how I developed my confidence as she was struggling to find her place within her class and the broader Upper School. Although she is a bright and accomplished student, she was not adjusting well to the social pressures of popularity in high school. Her words really resonated with me as I thought back to the times when I too struggled to find my place within Upper School. Although I had close friends, there was I time when I wanted to be part of the upper echelons of my high school's social hierarchy. As a Black student with an affinity towards challenging courses and music, I sometimes felt like an anomaly – not quite fully part of any group but always acutely aware of how my identities made me stick out from the other students. It was from these struggles that I grew a confidence that has propelled me forward. So in the next few minutes I have with you today, I'd like to share a bit about my journey to inspire my fellow scholars as they chart new paths.

If Upper School is where I began to first find myself, Barnard is where I blossomed. The Class of 2016 was Barnard's most competitive class to date – only 21% of the nearly 6,000 applicants (including me) were accepted. When I received my acceptance letter, I couldn't really appreciate what it all meant. Once I visited campus for Accepted Students Weekend, however, I knew I had found a place for me to fiercely bring my full self. It was at Barnard that I felt a sense of community and belonging that I'd never felt before. Academically, I poured myself into texts that affirmed who I was, reading great novelists and thinkers like Ntozake Shange, Bell Hooks, and Audre Lorde for the first time. I traveled around the world – first, as a sophomore when I was selected as a Global Symposium Fellow to lead young women's leadership workshops in Shanghai, China and later, as part of an immersive study abroad program. I climbed the rank of student organizations and as a graduating senior, was presented with one of the most prestigious student awards for my community involvement. I no longer felt like an anomaly, rather I felt encouraged, supported, and inspired by the women I met at Barnard.

My journey beyond Barnard was full of serendipity. I approached senior year not entirely sure of what I wanted to do next. As an accomplished student, part of me felt like I should have had my next steps all charted out. Throughout my semesters and summers, I had interned at big media companies like Viacom but wasn't inspired to pursue that path as a career. I ultimately decided to pursue a graduate degree to gain business acumen and re-pivot to another industry. In my senior spring, I learned I would be awarded a full-tuition Corporate Fellowship to attend Wake Forest University School of Business in Winston-Salem, NC – all thanks to American Express. In this Master's program, I spent fifteen months learning the foundations of business and management for the first time. I once again pushed myself to thrive outside of my comfort zone. I networked furiously and from one of those connections, I landed my first job at American Express. I joined as a Senior Analyst in Product Management – having the opportunity to work on a high-profile card launch that was widely successfully and to date has changed the way American Express does business. Now, as a Manager in Product Development, I am a decision maker involved in leading the development of our new products. Every day I am challenged to think critically to improve the customer experiences of our millions of Card members.

As I reflect on my experiences from Friends to Barnard and beyond, I can't help but think of this quote: "There's a big, beautiful world out there just waiting for you. The scary thing is it's up to you to make it." I had no idea as a Friends School student where my journey would take me. I couldn't have imagined that I would travel to over 25 countries before my 25th birthday, speak in front of five thousand attendees at my Commencement ceremony at Radio City Music Hall, or launch new ventures like Flynanced™ — all this was possible because I trusted the process and believed in myself.

I would be remiss not to acknowledge the impact that my experiences as a Samuel Ready Scholar had on my life. In events like the Fall Picnic and Spring Tea, I heard from alumnae who inspired me and showed me what was possible. I saw that a young woman from Baltimore like me could go on to be a leader in business, politics, and any field I desired. I learned the value of hard work and never settling for less than excellence. Without the Samuel Ready Foundation providing support to my family throughout my years at Friends, I simply would not be the woman you see today.

In closing, I'd like to thank the Samuel Ready Board as well as Matt Micciche and Jeanne Phizacklea from Friends School for inviting me back to campus. Your support means the world to me.

To the scholars, I want to leave you with these parting words: You must keep going – no matter how challenging the obstacles in front of you may seem. You are human and you will make mistakes – don't sweat the small stuff! You are not an anomaly. You belong in any classroom, boardroom, and table presented in front of you. Go confidently, knowing that all of us in this room and beyond are cheering you on. Thank you.

Delivered September 28, 2019
By Cinneah El-Amin